Split Saddles

Bob Gir.

A long time fairly serious biker, 100 miles a week, I have
always wondered about those split saddles and if they work
or not to relieve the numbness in the crotch area. I have
tried adjusting my saddles numerous times over the years and
have never fully succeeded in ridding myself totally of the
"crotch numbness syndrome". Standing up in the saddle every
ten or fifteen minutes seems to be the only sure cure.

These saddles ain't cheap and I don't want to experiment
at $50 bucks a pop so would appreciate any advice,
suggestions for effective brands of models that folks
would care to make.

Many thanks, bob

Maxo

On Sun, 27 Jun 2004 15:24:39 +0000, Bob Gir. wrote:

> These saddles ain't cheap and I don't want to experiment
> at $50 bucks a pop so would appreciate any advice

find a LBS that will let you test saddles for a week or so
and let you return minus a small restock fee. All you have
to do is ask.

I personally find the split ones uncomfortable, but others
rave about them. Saddle fit is really personal.

I perfer a hard leather saddle like a Brooks because since
you don't sink into it, the saddle doesn't come up and
squish your danglies.

:P

Dan Daniel

On Sun, 27 Jun 2004 15:24:39 GMT, "Bob Gir." <gunni@mailinator.com>
wrote:

>A long time fairly serious biker, 100 miles a week, I have
> always
>wondered about those split saddles and if they work or not
> to relieve
>the numbness in the crotch area. I have tried adjusting my
> saddles
> numerous times over the years and have never fully
> succeeded in ridding
>myself totally of the "crotch numbness syndrome". Standing
> up in the
> saddle every ten or fifteen minutes seems to be the only
> sure cure.
>
> These saddles ain't cheap and I don't want to experiment
> at $50 bucks a pop so would appreciate any advice,
> suggestions for effective brands of models that folks
> would care to make.
>
> Many thanks, bob

I've never had bad problems with numbness, but I'd get
it maybe half of my rides. I've been having good luck
with the Koobi saddles. Au Enduro and its earlier
version, the Silver.

http://www.koobi.com/

They do offer a 30 day test period if you buy from them.

David Reuteler

maxo <maxo@nospamhome.se> wrote:
> find a LBS that will let you test saddles for a week or so
> and let you return minus a small restock fee. All you have
> to do is ask.

hahaha.. better yet find one that will give you free
seats. just ask.
--
david reuteler reuteler@visi.com

Bob Gir.

In article <a8std09orqsckg9g529rqcjhr7otg2uvlb@4ax.com>,
Dan Daniel <ddandan.remove@pacbell.net> wrote:

> On Sun, 27 Jun 2004 15:24:39 GMT, "Bob Gir."
> <gunni@mailinator.com> wrote:
>
> > A long time fairly serious biker, 100 miles a week, I
> > have always
> > wondered about those split saddles and if they work or
> > not to relieve
> > the numbness in the crotch area. I have tried adjusting
> > my saddles
> > numerous times over the years and have never fully
> > succeeded in ridding
> > myself totally of the "crotch numbness syndrome".
> > Standing up in the
> >saddle every ten or fifteen minutes seems to be the only
> > sure cure.
> >
> > These saddles ain't cheap and I don't want to
> > experiment at $50 bucks a pop so would appreciate any
> > advice, suggestions for effective brands of models
> > that folks would care to make.
> >
> > Many thanks, bob
>
> I've never had bad problems with numbness, but I'd get
> it maybe half of my rides. I've been having good luck
> with the Koobi saddles. Au Enduro and its earlier
> version, the Silver.
>
> http://www.koobi.com/
>
> They do offer a 30 day test period if you buy from them.

Thanks, Dan, I'll check them out. bob

Don Demair

"David Reuteler" <reuteler@visi.com> wrote in message
news:40defa3d$0$32618$a1866201@newsreader.visi.com...
> maxo <maxo@nospamhome.se> wrote:
> > find a LBS that will let you test saddles for a week or
> > so and let you return minus a small restock fee. All you
> > have to do is ask.
>
> hahaha.. better yet find one that will give you free
> seats. just ask.
> --
> david reuteler reuteler@visi.com

Don't laugh so fast. Maybe not free, but my LBS will let a
customer trial a seat for 10% of the retail price. That's a
pretty good deal.

Ride on whatever you fit on, Don

Dan Daniel

On Sun, 27 Jun 2004 16:09:51 GMT, maxo <maxo@NOSPAMhome.se> wrote:

>On Sun, 27 Jun 2004 15:24:39 +0000, Bob Gir. wrote:
>
>> These saddles ain't cheap and I don't want to
>> experiment at $50 bucks a pop so would appreciate any
>> advice
>
>find a LBS that will let you test saddles for a week or so
>and let you return minus a small restock fee. All you have
>to do is ask.
>
>I personally find the split ones uncomfortable, but others
>rave about them. Saddle fit is really personal.
>
>I perfer a hard leather saddle like a Brooks because since
>you don't sink into it, the saddle doesn't come up and
>squish your danglies.
>
>:P

Sometimes I think that this is why the Koobi saddles have
worked for
me. The top of the saddle is very flat so I don't sink in a
way that puts pressure in the middle. Maybe the split is
doing nothing and the fit for me results from other
parts of its shape.

I couldn't get the Brooks B17 to work for me. Saddles are
very personal this way.

Zoot Katz

27 Jun 2004 16:47:57 GMT,
<40defa3d$0$32618$a1866201@newsreader.visi.com>, David Reuteler
<reuteler@visi.com> wrote:

>maxo <maxo@nospamhome.se> wrote:
>> find a LBS that will let you test saddles for a week or
>> so and let you return minus a small restock fee. All you
>> have to do is ask.
>
>hahaha.. better yet find one that will give you free seats.
>just ask.

The LBS where I've bought Brooks saddles lets you exchange
any saddle within a week as long as it's not damaged.
There's no restocking fee. They've just opened their third
store so that policy hasn't hurt their business.
--
zk

David Kerber

In article <gunni-
56CF77.11243627062004@news4.west.earthlink.net>,
gunni@mailinator.com says...
> A long time fairly serious biker, 100 miles a week, I
> have always wondered about those split saddles and if
> they work or not to relieve the numbness in the crotch
> area. I have tried adjusting my saddles

YES!

> numerous times over the years and have never fully
> succeeded in ridding myself totally of the "crotch
> numbness syndrome". Standing up in the saddle every ten or
> fifteen minutes seems to be the only sure cure.
>
> These saddles ain't cheap and I don't want to
> experiment at $50 bucks a pop so would appreciate any
> advice, suggestions for effective brands of models that
> folks would care to make.

I'm on my 6th different saddle, a Koobi Au Enduro, trying to
find the one which I don't need to think about, and it seems
to be the best so far, though I only have a few miles on it.

I've tried the following:

The oem Fuji saddle. Probably nice if you're a lightweight
and won't sink into the padding. My daughter really likes it
on the old 10-speed I had set up as a beater bike, which she
claimed as her own after one ride.

An older version of the Specialized Body Geometry wide
model. It was great when sitting up, but when down on the
drops or aerobars, it put pressure where it shouldn't be,
causing numbness. Rode this one a lot when I was getting
back into cycling, but when I starting riding faster and
entering races, it became less nice than it was as a
touring saddle.

A newer Specialized BG-2 Sport. No numbness, but for some
reason, it gave me sore sit bones. Never quite figured out
why, but finally gave up on it after quite a few miles and
adjustments.

A Trek Women's saddle (don't recall the exact model).
It was pretty good, but just a bit too soft, and short
front-to-back.

A Koobi Xenon. A very firm (they rate it an 8 out of 10 on
their firmness scale), wide, flat saddle. Would probably be
great for someone who rides a lot, but it seemed unlikely
that I would get used to it when I only ride a few hours per
week. I may keep it around as a race saddle, since it has Ti
rails and is pretty light.

A Koobi Au Enduro. Same shape as the Xenon, but with just a
bit thicker and softer padding. Only one ride on it so far,
but it felt REALLY good. I'll know a lot more next weekend
after a 70-miler.

--
Remove the ns_ from if replying by e-mail (but keep posts in
the newsgroups if possible).

Smokey

"Bob Gir." <gunni@mailinator.com> wrote in message news:<gunni-56CF77.11243627062004@news4.west.earthlink.net>...
> A long time fairly serious biker, 100 miles a week, I have
> always wondered about those split saddles and if they work
> or not to relieve the numbness in the crotch area. I have
> tried adjusting my saddles numerous times over the years
> and have never fully succeeded in ridding myself totally
> of the "crotch numbness syndrome". Standing up in the
> saddle every ten or fifteen minutes seems to be the only
> sure cure.
>
> These saddles ain't cheap and I don't want to
> experiment at $50 bucks a pop so would appreciate any
> advice, suggestions for effective brands of models that
> folks would care to make.
>
> Many thanks, bob

I have a Koobi on our tandem and get along well with it,
although my main ride has a Brooks, which I find a bit more
comfortable. If numbness is your problem, a Koobi might be
the best bet. I believe that if you buy through their
website, they have a 30 day demo ride program. Smokey

Mike Latondress

Zoot Katz <zootkatz@operamail.com> wrote in
news:40e78dd3.33031694@news.individual.net:

> 27 Jun 2004 16:47:57 GMT,
> <40defa3d$0$32618$a1866201@newsreader.visi.com>, David
> Reuteler <reuteler@visi.com> wrote:
>
>
> The LBS where I've bought Brooks saddles lets you exchange
> any saddle within a week as long as it's not damaged.

And that store is?